Video gaming device and communications system

1. A method of playing a simulation of a live casino table card game comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of spatially separate player stations including a plurality of player activated controls by which each player can modify a condition of said controls to designate said player's decisions in connection with the play of said card game; providing a single video display viewable from each of said player stations; providing a single game processor; providing a remote computer interfaced to said single game processor for monitoring events at said plurality of spatially separate player stations; said single game processor being programmed to: assign a game machine identifier to each of said player stations as if each of said player stations was an independent gaming machine; monitor a plurality of events at each said player station and electronically sense the condition of each said player activated controls; generate upon said single video display an electronic display of cards that have been dealt to the dealer; generate upon said single video display an electronic display of cards that have been dealt to each player; complete the player hands according to inputs received from said player activated controls and generate upon said single video display an electronic display of completed player hands; complete the dealer hand and generate upon said single video display an electronic display of completed dealer hand; execute the play of a simulation of a live casino table card game including group interactive participation by the players; transmit messages containing information from one or more of said player stations to a remote computer, each said message including the game machine identifier assigned to the player station to which said message corresponds; receive at least one message command from said remote computer that includes the game machine identifier assigned to the player station to which said command is directed, wherein said at least one message is selected from the group consisting of a shutdown message requesting said player station to shut down and an activation message confirming that said player station has been activated; and in response to receiving said at least one message command, send at least one output to a one of said player stations corresponding to the assigned game machine identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said player activated controls include buttons.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said card game is a blackjack game.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said single game processor is programmed to electronically display on said single video display a simulation of each player's hand of cards in said blackjack game and the dealer's hand of cards in said blackjack game.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a single game processor interfaced to each of said player stations and said single video display, further includes providing an interface device in operative communication with said player station input devices, said interface device configured to receive inputs from said player station input devices and to output interface signals corresponding to said inputs to said single game processor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein in response to receipt of an input from one of said player stations, said interface device sends a code to said game processor which indentifies the input and the one of said player stations that generated the input.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein in response to receipt of said code from said interface device, said game processor generates a corresponding game machine message including the identifier assigned to said one of said player stations and sends said message to said remote computer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said player activated controls include magnetic and integrated circuit card readers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said player station includes at least one progressive input device for allowing a player to enter a progressive input selection; said remote computer is programmed for operating a progressive jackpot feature of multiple individual gaming machines; and wherein said single game processor is further programmed to: receive player station information from said progressive input device in each said player station and in response thereto; send messages to said remote computer, each said message including the game machine identifier assigned to the corresponding player station and a progressive input selection at said one of said player stations; and, in response to receipt of a command from said remote computer to display a progressive outcome upon said single display monitor and communicate said outcome to an output device of the corresponding one of said player stations.

10. The method of claim 1 , further including metering means for metering game play activity data as a whole for said multiplayer game and wherein said game processor further is programmed to send said game play activity data to said remote computer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said single game processor is further programmed to ignore data from one or more of said player stations at certain times.

12. A multiplayer interactive video gaming system for playing a simulation of a live casino table card game comprising: a plurality of spatially separate player stations including a plurality of player activated controls by which each player can modify a condition of said controls to designate said player's decisions in connection with the play of said card game; a single video display viewable from each of said player stations; a single game processor; a remote computer interfaced to said single game processor for monitoring events at said plurality of spatially separate player stations; said single game processor programmed to: assign a game machine identifier to each of said player stations as if each of said player stations was an independent gaming machine; monitor a plurality of events at each said player station and electronically sense the condition of each said player activated controls; generate upon said single video display an electronic display of cards that have been dealt to the dealer; generate upon said single video display an electronic display of cards that have been dealt to each player; complete the player hands according to inputs received from said player activated controls and generate upon said single video display an electronic display of completed player hands; complete the dealer hand and generate upon said single video display an electronic display of completed dealer hand; execute the play of a simulation of a live casino table card game including group interactive participation by the players; transmit messages containing information from one or more of said player stations to a remote computer, each said message including the game machine identifier assigned to the player station to which said message corresponds; receive at least one message command from said remote computer that includes the game machine identifier assigned to the player station to which said command is directed, wherein said at least one message is selected from the group consisting of a shutdown message requesting said player station to shut down and an activation message confirming that said player station has been activated; and in response to receiving said at least one message command, send at least one output to a one of said player stations corresponding to the assigned game machine identifier.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said single game processor displays simultaneously upon said single video display all cards that have been dealt that are currently in play.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein said card game is a blackjack game.